Medical Marijuana is Legal in 29 States – It’s Time to Educate Doctors

Of the eight states that passed new marijuana measures in the 2016 election, four will be making medical marijuana accessible to patients for the very first time. This has many medical practitioners asking a very pertinent question, “Medical marijuana is legal – now what?” Isn’t it time to educate doctors?

To answer that question, renowned physicians, scientists, educators and other experts in the field of medical marijuana will headline a series of seminars, panel discussions and exhibitions at the World Medical Marijuana Business Conference & Expo, which takes place April 21st through 23rd in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Hosted by Compassionate Certification Centers™ (CCC), a national medical education and patient resource provider, the World Medical Marijuana Business Conference & Expo will focus primarily on the clinical aspects of medical marijuana.

Dr. Bryan Doner

“With more and more states adopting new marijuana policy, the time to educate doctors and expand knowledge regarding medical marijuana is now more important than ever,” said Dr. Bryan Doner, Medical Director, CEO and Co-Founder of CCC, and an attending E.R. physician at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital near Pittsburgh. Stressing the importance of deploying resources to educate healthcare providers and help them keep pace with rising demand for information about cannabis treatment options, he added, “We believe a medical-oriented convention of this scope will help to fill this void and offer clinical providers, patients, business owners and entrepreneurs the valuable information they will need to move forward and navigate treatment options now that medical marijuana is legal.”

“This conference is truly unique, different from industry conferences catering to consumers, patients and business professionals,” said Melonie Krotchet, COO and co-founder of CCC. While Krotchet expects a large turnout of those general audiences, she and her team of expert medical marijuana advisors have specifically designed the syllabus to meet higher academic standards to educate doctors, nurses, scientists and other professionals serving the medical community. “Not only is this convention the first large cannabis convention to be held here in Pittsburgh, it will be one of the first national medical events of this magnitude to be accredited by the American Medical Association for providing Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits in the emerging science of cannabis medicine.”

Licensed medical professionals in attendance may earn up to 22.5 AMA PRA Category 1 credits toward their required CME hours, including required hours in Risk Management. These courses will be provided in conjunction with The Answer Page, an organization that provides programs to educate doctors and healthcare providers in multiple states about medical marijuana. Medical to be addressed will include recent scientific breakthroughs, discoveries about the human endo-cannabinoid system, cannabis pharmacopeia, emerging treatment protocols and potential for medical marijuana to eventually transform the field of medicine. Other highlights include legal aspects of medical marijuana, political trends with potential to impact DEA policy and potential for cannabis to solve the perplexing epidemic of opioid addiction.

“The need for better knowledge about medical marijuana is increasing at a rapid pace as more and more patients are seeking safer alternatives to manage pain,” said Dr. Doner. With AMA Board certification in Emergency Medicine and specialty credentials in Hyperbaric and Wound Care, Dr. Doner has witnessed the devastating outcomes of opiate overdoses first hand. With opioid deaths escalating in the U.S., he recognizes the urgency of transitioning patients into effective, non-lethal pain management via cannabis. In a recent interview on The Cannabis Reporter Radio Show, he also acknowledged that Federal DEA policy on medical marijuana will eventually catch up with overwhelming demand evidenced by the number of states where medical marijuana is legal. This patient-driven movement can be attributed to the astonishing anecdotal and scientific evidence emerging from the shadows into the mainstream spotlight that medical marijuana is not only a viable treatment, it could be a necessary component of human health.

About the World Medical Marijuana Business Conference & Expo, Doner concluded, “Our goal is to help medical doctors overcome the stigma and knowledge gap so they can begin to help their patients benefit from this incredibly healing, holistic medicine.”